Page 1 of Falling for My Shifter Boss

Chapter 1

Adrian

The scent of freshly brewed coffee and sugar-dusted pastries drifts through Whispering Pine's only decent café. I pause at the entrance, scanning the interior with the practiced wariness that's kept me alive all these years. Early morning light spills through the windows, casting long shadows across empty tables. Perfect. No pack politics or forced pleasantries before my first cup of coffee.

Then I sense her.

My wolf stirs beneath my skin, alert and focused before my mind can process why. It's not danger—I know that particular strain of tension intimately. This is... different. A presence that commands attention, desperately unwanted but impossible to ignore.

When I see her, everything shifts.

She's small but moves with a fluid grace that speaks of hidden strength, maneuvering between tables with two oversized coffee cups and a paper bag that smells of cinnamon and butter. Dark curls tumble past her shoulders, catching the morning light. Wolf-shifter—the scent is unmistakable, pine and lavender wound together with something wilder underneath. But she's not from either of the local packs. I'd remember her.

My body moves before I can stop it, muscles tensing as one of the cups wobbles. Her golden-brown eyes flick to mine, catching the movement. A slow, knowing grin spreads across features that are all sharp angles and quiet defiance.

"Relax, big guy. I've got this."

The casual familiarity in her tone catches me off guard. Most wolves recognize what I am—feel the predator lurking beneath the tailored suit and careful control. They lower their eyes, bare their throats, follow the ancient rules that keep our kinds from tearing each other apart.

She does none of that.

Instead, she meets my gaze directly, amusement dancing in eyes that seem to glow with internal fire. My wolf rumbles, unsettled by her lack of deference and... something else. Something I refuse to examine.

When she reaches the door, she glances back over her shoulder. Sunlight catches her profile, highlighting the curve of her jaw, the slight upturn of her lips. "You know, holding the door open for someone wouldn't kill you, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Overgrown."

The words hit like a physical thing—sharp, teasing, and entirely too familiar. Before I can stop myself, I move forward, reaching past her to pull the door open. She pauses, and for a moment, I catch her scent fully—earth and sky and female wolf, wrapped in that maddening hint of lavender. Her eyes narrow slightly, like she wasn't expecting compliance, then that damned smirk returns.

"Hey, thanks. See? Being a gentleman isn't so hard." Her voice drops lower, almost conspiratorial. "Even for a grumpy wolf."

Then she's gone, disappearing into the cold morning air with her precarious cargo, leaving nothing but the ghost of her scent and an unsettling warmth in my chest that I immediately try to freeze out.

I close my hand into a fist, focusing on the bite of nails against palm. A distraction. Nothing more. I have a company to run, a community to protect, and hunters circling our borders. I don't have time for golden eyes and defiant smirks.

Squaring my shoulders, I place my usual order, adding Eli's disgustingly sweet concoction to the list. My second-in-command's addiction to sugar-laden coffee is almost as irritating as unexpected wolf-shifters who don't know their place.

Almost.

Minutes later, with two drinks in hand, I push thoughts of her firmly aside. I have meetings to attend, security protocols to review, and a gala to organize. I don't need complications.

But as I stride toward Blackwell Corporation's gleaming headquarters, her scent lingers, refusing to let me forget.

???

Eli is waiting when I step inside my office. He's perched on the edge of my desk, arms crossed, looking entirely too amused for this early in the morning. Behind him, through floor-to-ceiling windows, Whispering Pines spreads out like a promise—all misty mountains and ancient forest. My latest project. My chance to build something that matters.

"Let me guess—black coffee, no sugar, no joy," he says as he reaches for the cup in my hand. I let him take his overpriced caramel abomination instead.

"You act like I drink motor oil."

"That's what it tastes like." He takes an obnoxiously slow sip, dragging out the inevitable commentary. "You know, normal people actually enjoy their beverages."

"Normal people aren't trying to build supernatural safe havens while juggling two territorial wolf packs."

My tone carries an edge, but Eli just grins. He's been by my side since the beginning, since the night I swore I'd never let another family suffer what mine did. Together, we've turned Blackwell Corporation from a dream into something real—a force capable of protecting our kind in a world that grows more hostile by the day.

"Speaking of our local wolves," he says, "anything new?"

I move to my desk, scanning the reports laid out in precise lines. "The land deal is moving forward, though Sawyer's still smoothing over resistance from the local council. The gala should help push things in the right direction. Whispering Pines and Howling Pines haven't fully committed to backing us."

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